The Opelousas courier., 1887-01-29
TOBOGGANING.
A Winter AmusementO Origin
ating in Canada.
The Toboggan Sled, the Dresses Worn and
the Chute q ed in 0oasting.

known to Americans oa the occasion OF
the Inauguration of the Marquis o!
Lorne as Lieutenant Governor of Canada.
The amusement had long been enjoyed
in Canada, where the winter is sufficient
ly long to make it worth while for the
masses to go into it. The toboggan
sled, a thin sheet of hard wood, ha /
been used by the Indians from time i'm
memorial for drawing wood, game, fish
and burdens generally over the snow. 1t
was made fiat 50 as to ride On the sur
f ce, and was curled up in front so as
to overcome all small distractions. The
best ones remain to-day of the original
form an | make, and thousands OF them
are yet turned out every year by their
origina, inventors, the Indians. The
white folks adapted them to coast.ng
because of their !ightness and carrying
capacity, and because, fast as they 60,
they are not SO fast as polished runners.
You can get a toboggan for from 81 to
81. All so is OF patents are made with
metal bottoms and d ferent suggestions
of names, but the olG-fash oned, simple
Indian toboggan, with a mattress or
cushion, is the best after all.
The ~toboggan dress for ladies is simply
an ulster OR a wrapper open all the way
down, with a hood On the back between
the shoulders, and pockets and a waist
strap. It is made of blanket stuff, and
the col red border of the blanket is used
for the col ar, pocket flaps and bottom
of the coat. It cov;rs a lady's dress
completely, and is taken in a little at the
waist and looks best when It is buttoned
with big buttons from the neck to the
ground in front, though it can be fas-
tened with hooks. There is no mystery
about the making of it. Take any pat
tern of a wrapper, and add a hood and
waist strap to buckle in front, making
both of the same material as III, gar
ment. Any pattern of blanket stuff
looks well, and s me patterns of jersey
goods answer the purpose. The store
keepers want $12 to SIS for one of those
garments, but any woman who
is handy with a needle can make
n for a great deal less. The
dress for men consists of a blanket coat
made like q tourist coat or a hunting
coat, caught round the waist with a belt
of the same stuff, and made so as to use
the blanket border for the pocket flaps,
collar, and stripe down the front. Knee
breeches are made to match, and below
them are worn bicycle stockings and
heavy boots and rubbers. The tailors
charge SIS to $50 for one of these suits,
or about twice too much, but there seems
to be nothing to do but to pay it.
On their heads both men and women
wear knit worsted toques, long, big
stockings without feet to them, but with
a cord and tassel where the foot ought to
be, and worn rolled up a little way, and
with the spare end tassel hanging over
one side. Any house wife can knit a
pretty one for less than half a dollar of
cost; any s~torekeeper will sell you one
for 81. so to SO. But the toque, which
is the Canadian headgear, is likely to
disappear from the women's heads in
this country after this, because the Yam
kee knit goods manufacturers have in.
vented something much prettier. This
improvement is a cap of worsted blue,
red or white, shaped like a Normandy
cap, high and square in front and fronted
with a big silk bow too match the cap.
Pulled down over the back of the head,
these are irresistible, and no pretty girl
who has not worn one is yet aware how
really and exquisitely pretty she can be.
The toboggan chute is really only a
smooth staircase set up out of doors. Its
slant differs just as the pitch of stairways
differ, according to the ideas of the
builders. First, q tall, f1at-topped plat.
form must be built, DO, go or even 80
feet in height. From the top
of this to the ground is the
runway. It must be trussed so
curely, and must have room upon it for
two s~ix-foot roads, and a staircase and
hree-foot halfway, up which the sleds
are to be pulled to the top. The runways,
or roads, must be divided by a stout beam
or low fence. The beam is best. Low
board fences must wall the outer side of
each road or runway. The roads must
be covered with blocks of ice, and the
cracks between the blocks must be
calked with snow. When the Their
mometer is at freezing point water must
be thrown or played with a hose upon
these ice-paved slantiug roads until they
are covered by streets of smooth ice.
Snow must then be heaped between the
slides, over the dividing beam and also
against the outer fencing of each slide,
SO as to turn the slides into cutters.
There should be plenty of room on the
fiat top of the tall platform for couples
waiting their turns. 1t is best to have
the chute on a low hill and built SO as to
let the hillside form a continuation or
the inclined plane. At the foot of the
chute the snow must be leyelled, wet,